This invention relates to shape modeling which forms the nucleus in organizing automated systems for the design and manufacturing activities using computers, such as CAE, CAD and CAM systems and the drawing process activity using office automation facilities, and particularly to a shape modeling system suitable for interactive operation.
In conventional shape modeling systems using a method of generating data of 3-dimensional shape of an object from data of 2-dimensional figures represented by drawings produced by a drawing system, a 3-dimensional shape is formed by combining "3-views" including a front view, plan view and side view conformed to a mechanical drawing standard such as JIS, and the drawing method for these 2-dimensional figures has been limited.
An example of the above-mentioned shape modeling systems is described in a publication entitled "COMPUTERS IN ENGINEERING" Vol. 1, pp. 55-61, published in 1982 by THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS.
The above prior art system could not produce data of a 3-dimensional shape from data of 2-dimensional figures having a hierarchical structure in many stages dealt with by the mechanical drawing standard, and the method of drawing 2-dimensional figures with the intention of producing a 3-dimensional shape has been confined to the drawing method of 3-face views. On this account, the drawing method for 2-dimensional figures based on the mechanical drawing standard familiar to designers could not be utilized effectively as a data input means of the system. In addition, existing drawing data produced by a drawing system or the like cannot be utilized effectively as basic data for producing data of 3-dimensional shape, and this has been a problem in improving the performance of man-machine interface.